Anti-abortion ad coincides with pro-choice rally

Group was not aware of pro-choice rally, says spokeswoman

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A P.E.I. group against abortions took out a full-page ad in the Guardian newspaper Saturday, on the same day demonstrations were held in Charlottetown and Toronto for better access to abortions for Island women.

P.E.I.'s position on abortion should be celebrated, says Ann Marie Tomlins. (CBC)

P.E.I. is the only province in Canada where abortions are not performed in hospitals. The provincial government will pay for abortions performed on the mainland.

Ann Marie Tomlins of the P.E.I. Right to Life Association said her group was not aware there was a pro-choice rally on Saturday.

"When we heard that things were heating up on the Island, that this would be a good week to put it in, and we chose Saturday simply because Saturday has the largest circulation for the Guardian. And we did not know that there was going to be a PRRO rally on Saturday," said Tomlins.

The ad calls P.E.I. "Canada's own life sanctuary."

"We should be pleased that we're the only province that does not offer that and we do back our government in this regard," said Tomlins.

The P.E.I. Right to Life Association is not a lobby group, she said, and will not lobby the government to further restrict access to abortion.